Stepping into a winning program and the rather large shoes of a star player is tough for any athlete. When the athlete is a freshman and the position is goalkeeper, succeeding is nearly impossible.

But such was the unenviable task of freshman goalkeeper Cheryl Gunther of the Harvard women's soccer team.

Just out of her final year of high school, Gunther was thrust into perhaps the biggest pressure position on the soccer field--in goal. Making things even hairier were the shoes into which Gunther was stepping.

Senior Anne Browning had manned the net the previous season, earning Second Team All-Ivy honors. For her final year, however, Browning decided to leave the soccer team to focus on her crew career.

So the honor of playing between the posts fell squarely on the shoulders of the first-year from Hauppauge, N.Y.

But despite the difficult circumstances, Gunther exceeded all expectations, performing beautifully. In fact, her play was nothing short of historic.

Starting every game but one in the regular season, Gunther posted a 14-0-1 record for the Crimson. She led the Ivy League with a 0.40 goals-against average and a .929 save percentage. Furthermore, those marks were good for first and second place, respectively, all-time in Harvard women's soccer history.

Remarkably, Gunther allowed only six goals over the entire season and only three goals over the span of Harvard's 10-game winning streak to end the regular season. Gunther also posted a remarkable 7.85 shutouts on the year.

For her play, Gunther was named the Ivy League's Rookie of the Year, and also earned Second Team All-Ivy honors.

"Goose, which is our nickname for Cheryl, was simply outstanding for us this year," co-captain Jess Larson said. "She came in as a freshman and just had an amazing year. She definitely saved us a few times."

Of course, Gunther's play greatly benefited from one of the strongest defensive teams in Harvard history. Larson, the Ivy League's unanimously selected Player of the Year, anchored a strong and talented backfield from the sweeper position to lead one of the best defensive squads in the country.

Also playing in front of Gunther was senior fullback Gina Foster and freshman fullback Bryce Weed, who both garnered First Team All-Ivy honors, as well as junior fullback Lauren Corkery, who was named to the Second Team All-Ivy.

Gunther's incredible support up front, however, far from diminishes her achievements. She stepped into a pressure-laden position on a perennial contender and into the shoes of one of its strongest leaders, but she didn't flinch. In fact, as the season progressed, the freshman became a vocal presence on the field as well.

"It's very important for the goalkeeper to be very vocal while playing, so we encouraged her to step up," Larson said. "And as the season went on she grew more and more confident."

Gunther's poise as a rookie starter, however, was not a unique phenomenon on this team. The Crimson regularly started five--and often six--freshmen.

Freshman forwards Beth Totman and Joey Yenne were first and second on the team in scoring, respectively, and were each named to the Second Team All-Ivy. Weed was stellar in the backfield, and freshmen fullback Katie Urbanic and midfielder Orly Ripmaster both made strong contributions.

Nonetheless, it was Gunther's spectacular, poised play in goal that stood out among the rookies.

In the coming 2000 season, the Crimson will face the loss of many key starters who will clearly be difficult to replace. But if 1999 was any indication, Harvard will be solid in goal for the next three years with Cheryl Gunther manning the net.